Telephone-switchboard.



' C. E. WILSON.

TELEPHONE SWITGHBOABD.

APPLvIoATIoN FILED sBPT.1o, 1904.

899,278. l Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

Z SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

Ens co., wAsHmaruN, n. c.

l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. WILSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO KEYSTONETELE- PHONE COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA, OF

RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- TE LE PHON E-SWITCHBOARDSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. `22, 1908.

Application filed September 10, 1904. Serial No. 223,949.

' provements in. Telephone Switchboards,

whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

My improvements relate particularly to call registering devices and apeculiar construction and relation of the same with respect to the otherelements of the switch board.

It is the object of my invention to facilitate the manual operation ofthe call registering devices, and to this end I provide a switch boardwith a plurality of such devices respectively corresponding With theanswering jacks upon the board, and arrange said registering devices inthe same relative positions as the answering jacks with which theycorrespond.

As hereinafter described, said registering devices aredisposed in agroup at the top of a board, which is provided at its lower portion witha group of answering jacks, and which is provided intermediate of saidtwo groups with a plurality of ordinary calling or multiple jacks. Bythis arrangement, the registering devices are entirely removed from theparts of the board which are obstructed by the cords; a correspondenceis nevertheless maintained which allows the operator to rapidly andaccurately register the call after it has been completed and with theleast danger of a mistake in the registration.

My invention comprehends the various novel features of construction andarrangement hereinafter more definitely s ecified.

In the accompanying drawings; Fligure I, is a front elevationof aportion of a switch board', constituting what is known as an operatorsposition embodying my invention. Fig. II, is a rear elevation of aportion of the group of registering devices which is located upon theopposite side of the panel shown in Fig. I. Fig. III, is a horizontalsectional view, taken on the line III, III, in Figs. II and IV. Fig. IV,is a vertical sectional view taken on the line IV, IV, in Figs. I andII.

Referring to Fig. I, the switch board comprises the panel 1, having thevertical stiles 2, defining an operators position and including betweenthem, the group of answering jacks 3, arranged in horizontal linesadjoining corresponding lines of annunciators 4, the ordinary calling ormultiple jacks 5, being disposed above said answering jacks, and, thepilot signals 6, beneath the group of answering jacks. Said panel 1, issurmounted by the panel7, which supports the group of registering pushbuttons 8, corresponding in number and relative location vth the groupof answering jacks 3, at the bottom of the board. Each of said pushbuttons 8, is mounted in a socket -9, in the panel 7, and provided witha spring 1 0,

which normally thrusts the button outwardly as indicated in Figs. IIIand IV, and, each button is provided with a cylindrical shank 12, andflattened tang 13, having a slot 14, to receive the lever 15, .of itsrespective registering device.

Each tang 13, 'is mounted in the slot 16, in

its shank 12, in which it is secured by the rivets 17, and, a laterallyprojecting portion of said tang, forms a rib 18, which engages acorresponding recess 19, in the back of the panel 7 thus preventingrotation of the button 8, and limiting the forward movement of saidbutton under pressure of the spring 10. Each of said registering devicescomprises a casing 21, provided with a screw threaded bolt 23, which isseated in a socket 25, in the panel 7, and maintained in rigid relationtherewith by a tubular nut 26, 'which is entered in said panel from thefront side thereof in engagement with said screw threaded shank and incontact with a shoulder 28, in said socket 25. Each of said casings 21,incloses a series of four disks 31, 32, 33, and 34 respectively markedwith the numerals 1 to 9 and Zero upon its periphery and respectivelyrepresenting units, tens, hundreds and thousands. 15, is secured totheshaft 36, which extends through said numbered disks in concentricrelation therewith and is provided with a suitable pawling mechanismwithin said casing 21, so that oscillatory movement of said lever 15,effects the unit progression of said disks to manifest a correspondingincrease in the whole number displayed through the opening 38, in saidcasing 21, as indicated in Fig. II. It is to be understood that all ofthe registering disks are numbered although but one set is thus shown inFig. II.

The mechanism above described is used as follows z--A call beingmanifested by one of theannunciators 4; the operator plugs thecorresponding answering jack 3; receives the subscribers request forconnection; plugs the desired multiple jack 5, and calls the stationrepresented thereby. lf a suitable reply is received from the stationcalled, the connection is completed and the operator thereupon pushesthe registering button 8,

corresponding with the answering jack initially employed in making theconnection, and thus registers a call to the account ot the subscriber'represented by said answering jack.

Although l have illustrated the registering devices as each comprisingan ordinary arrangement of numbered disks; it is to be understood thatmy invention is not limited to the lemployment of such devices, butcomprehends the employment of registering devices of any suitableconstruction having their operating means in the same relation to eachother as the answering jacks in the corresponding group; suolico-relation of the groups of answering jacks and registering devicesbeing the essential factor in facilitating the manipulation of saiddevices.

My invention is distinguished from all prior arrangements in whichregistering devices are located upon that part of the board where theiroperation is vmore or less constantly obstructed by the interlacing ofthe cords. v

I claimz- In a telephone switch board, the combination with a group ofanswering-j acks arranged in vertical and horizontal rows; a group ofmultiple-jacks above the answering jacks and correspondingly located;and a separate group of independent manually operated call registeringdevices arranged in similarly grouped rows above the multiple jacks,said individual registering devices be- -ing arranged in the samerelative position in their group as are the correspondinganswering-Jacks and multiple-jacks 1n their group.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this ninth day of September', 1904.

CHARLES E. VILSON,

Witnesses:

JAMES H. BELL, ARTHUR E. PAIGE.

